I'm just wondering what you guys feel about hair sticks. I know one MLHH member who uses them. I heard from another site that using hair sticks and putting your hair in a bun is one of the best protective style you can do for your hair (if you are trying to grow your hair to reach extreme lengths). It is supposedly less damaging than tying your hair in a ponytail.
From my own experience, I don't know about the damage factor. I tried it out for the very first time at home using a single chopstick. I felt like it was damaging pushing the stick and maneuvering it in my bun because I could hear little snapping noises (or maybe i'm just not maneuvering the stick correctly?). I would post my picture on here, but I felt like it made my hair look feminine. I know that in Asian cultures, such as during Ancient China (don't remember which dynasty), men used to adorn their top knots or a bun with a stick, sometimes made of jade. I'm not sure about Western cultures...
I guess I can see how it does protect hair because it is contained in one area, meaning you are not exposing the ends of your hair to rub on your clothes which can cause friction to the ends of the hair, and also avoiding damage of a pony ties (google why ponytails are bad). I know my sister swears by it, and steals my pens whenever she visits me.
Now that my hair is getting longer (beyond shoulder), I'd appreciate any advice on protective styles I can wear outside of the house. So far the only protective styles I can think of is the bunning of hair with or without sticks. Maybe some of you can direct me to sites that sell hair sticks that look masculine? Do you wear a protective hairstyle on a daily basis? Any ideas?
thanks for your time,
rowie
That would probably be me. I use a short stainless steel chopstick (which has a bit of a point on the end). There are various makers of unadorned hair sticks in wood and metal out there. Bronze Jewelers even has daggers. You could also make your own hairsticks out of hobby or workshop materials. If you use chopsticks, the pointed Japanese type sticks are the best starting point.
Thanks for the advice. Here is a pic of my first hair stick milestone! sorry if it is blurry, I used the front face camera of my iPhone to shoot this. I think you are right about starting with a more pointy end, that way it will minimize any damage (if any) when maneuvering the stick to lock in the bun. I like your idea of trying to find shorter sticks. Do you wear your stick across or in an angle?
I'll try to look at your album at the other site and see if you have any pics there. I just feel bad that I neglected that site, and there are probably some people there wondering about me...maybe...I don't know. I just feel so at home here in MLHH since the audience is mainly men compared to the other site, and that I can ask questions here that would not seem so elementary. hmmm maybe it's time to go back to where I started learning about hair. Maybe I'll start a thread in the mane forum about my first visit to New York City (yes I visited the George Michael salon, so much to tell, but it might be more appropriate to talk about it on that site) as a way to say I'm back. hehehe
cheers,
rowie
I put my hair up this way all the time, usually with a pen or pencil or both